Douglas Ross has written to Nicola Sturgeon urging her to support Scottish jobs in the oil and gas industry.
Citing the famous SNP slogan, ‘It’s Scotland’s Oil’, he told Sturgeon that the Cambo field would help to protect the 100,000 jobs connected to the North Sea sector and potentially create even more.
The Scottish Conservative Leader also said the SNP’s new position was “motivated primarily by the constitution, not the climate” after Sturgeon wrote to the UK Government asking that they ‘reassess’ future oil and gas projects.
Douglas Ross added that opposing new oil and gas industry projects was a political move by the SNP, aimed at “sealing a nationalist deal with the Greens and provoking a grievance with the UK Government.”
He also challenged the SNP leader to explain how it would help the environment and consumers for Scotland to be forced into importing more energy from abroad at higher prices.
Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: “The SNP used to shout from the rooftops that ‘it’s Scotland’s oil’ – now they wish it was gone.
“More than 100,000 jobs depend on Scotland’s oil and gas industry. A speedy but sensible transition to net zero is essential to protect those jobs, our communities and the wider economy.
“Where are working class families supposed to find the cash to pay the higher energy bills that would emerge from abandoning the North Sea sector?
“The oil and gas industry has more detailed plans for reaching net zero than the SNP Government, which has missed its climate change targets three years running. As usual, there is a vast gap between the SNP’s words and actions.
“Nicola Sturgeon’s letter is motivated primarily by the constitution, not the climate. This change of heart is about sealing a nationalist deal with the Greens and provoking a grievance with the UK Government in the run up to COP26.
“Instead of playing childish political games to further their nationalist interests, the SNP should focus on tackling the Covid economic crisis.”
Notes
The text of the letter, sent this morning, is as follows:
Dear Nicola Sturgeon,
I write to remind you of a slogan that your party used to champion - it’s Scotland’s oil. Our jobs depend on it. Our communities rely on it. Our local services have been supported by it for decades.
The oil and gas industry is essential to local businesses and the wider Scottish economy. Behind the raw statistic that 100,000 jobs are supported by it, there are families in good homes because of those jobs, and businesses that thrive or struggle depending on the fortunes of the industry.
In the middle of a pandemic, with an economic crisis hanging over us, we should be supporting measures that create jobs. The Cambo oil field and the North Sea sector can continue to deliver jobs for years to come with the right backing, while the industry works hard to transition to renewables.
There is also a very real environmental consideration to your plans. If the North Sea sector was abandoned, as an SNP-Green coalition would no doubt propose, we could be forced to pay exorbitant prices to import energy from abroad.
Oil and gas makes up 79 per cent of all Scottish energy consumption and 91 per cent of heat demand. How do you propose we replace that energy?
In the last year of data, we imported £1.6 billion of gas and £1.3 billion of petroleum products. How will it help tackle climate change to import even more energy from abroad at inflated prices?
If we do have to import that energy from abroad to make up for losses, where are working class families supposed to find the extra cash to pay their bills?
There are no good answers to those questions and that betrays the fact that your letter is motivated primarily by the constitution, not the climate. You have adopted a position to seal a nationalist deal with the Greens and to provoke a grievance with the UK Government in the run up to COP26.
The oil and gas industry has already made substantial moves towards net zero. In fact, they have more detailed plans for reaching net zero than the SNP Government which, despite your rhetoric, has missed its climate change targets for three years running. If only your government worked constructively with the industry, and with other businesses across Scotland, those targets could be met.
I hope in future you will remember the importance of this industry and the jobs that depend on it, instead of playing childish political games to further your nationalist interests.
Yours Sincerely,
Douglas Ross